Federal and state policies on multiculturalism and the teaching of culture: A focus on primary education.

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Abstract

Historically, Australia has experienced successive waves of diaspora and the country's social mosaic has evolved and been enriched accordingly. Adjusting to cultural change and promoting intercultural understanding are challenging topics for all members of our society. Schools can play a major role in helping students, teachers, and the wider community to gain multicultural knowledge and acquire intercultural communication skills. However, we need to know more about how to approach the issue in Primary schools. In this paper, we present a review of federal and Queensland government policies on multiculturalism and the teaching of culture. Firstly, we map current definitions of multiculturalism and cultural diversity in academic literature and in policy documents. In the latter, we identify the agendas set by various government bodies. Secondly, we explore Queensland state education policies in the light of these agendas and discuss future implications for Primary schools. At the end of the presentation, conference participants will be invited to discuss their local contexts with regard to enactment of these federal and state policies.